Hi guys so this is just a story that kind of came to me a while ago that I decided to pursue I hope you like it and that leads to review, following and favoriting because that makes for a very happy me:)
The wizarding world is made up of illusions some cast by wands, others brewed in pots either way they piece together our fragile society. All wizards will agree with this statement by saying that we fool Muggles. However, a smart wizard realizes that they we create illusions for all. We create these illusions that we are safe, that we are invincible, that we are perfect. I became apart of one of these illusions on a warm summer day when my raven haired cousin yelled, "Rose, do you still have a pair of extendable ears that Crookshanks hasn't chewed on?"
"Yeah I do," My cousin, Albus, had just sprinted up the stairs and into my room. "Why?" I began rummaging in my trunk.
"I overheard my dad talking to my mum and he said that he needs to talk to Uncle Ron about something of extreme importance. I didn't catch much of the conversation before Lily threatened to tattle, but I did catch your name and Scorpius'," Albus reported.
My hand froze, "Why would our names be in the same sentence? Especially coming out of your dads mouth?"
"I don't bloody well know! That's why I need you to hurry up and get the ear!" I found it quickly and stuffed it into my jean short pocket. We headed towards the Weasley kitchen quickly and quietly.
"What would we do without Uncle George," I smiled at Al's comment before holding up my finger to my lips in the universal sign for be quiet. Then I unrolled the ear, stuck it under the door, and held out an end to both Al and myself.
"Harry that is a ridiculous request, you know I can't ask Rosie to do that!" Ron's outraged voice filled my ears.
"Ron, you know I wouldn't come to you if it wasn't an absolute necessity," Harry's calm one contrasted sharply.
"Why don't you just use Lily then! See how it feels to have your daughter being used like this," Ron's voice continued to rise. At this point I highly doubted we needed the extendable ears.
"You know I can't do that, Lily's too young, plus Rose actually knows the bloke. But Ron, I would if I could, because this isn't about throwing you under the bus here. It's about trying to save lives," Harry spoke evenly.
"I know, I know this is an opportunity to stop a second wizarding war and to save lives, but haven't you always said that love is the greatest magic of all? I don't want to take that from my daughter," Albus and I exchanged a confused look.
"Ron you would be giving it to people. Think about all the lives you would save and how many of those would get to experience love," Harry reasoned.
"He's a Malfoy, Harry! A Malfoy!" Since when was Scorpius relevant?
"He's a good bloke, he gets top grades, he's going to be head boy with Rose, and he's even on track for being an auror. He has a promising future where he can support a family including Rose," Wait, including me?
Albus poked me to see if I got that last part but I just swatted him away, "Rose Malfoy, that doesn't sound pretty."
"Oh, now you're just pulling at loose strings to see if you can find something wrong with Rose marrying Scorpius."
I dropped the part of the extendable ear I was holding in shock. After taking several slow steps backwards, I ran straight out the backdoor towards my favorite tree. I began to climb faster than I ever have before. When I was little, my dad used to call it our special spot. We would come out here whenever I was upset about a prank Hugo had played on me or about something one of my friends had done and he and I would talk. Since then it's become my thinking tree. I only come out here when I truly need to work through something, like now.
What did Uncle Harry mean by me marrying Scorpius? Earlier in the conversation he said this was an opportunity to stop a second wizarding war, how? My head was spinning and I couldn't stop it. I lowered my head into my hands just as a tall red head appeared behind me.
He began to climb the tree, "Hey Rosie, how's our special spot?"
"Awful," I muttered, "What did you mean by me marrying Scorpius?" I didn't beat around the bush much.
"Rosie there has been a lot tension between purebloods who are antimuggle-borns and "blood traitors" like us lately. Your Uncle and several others are under the impression that the purebloods are looking for revenge after the first wizarding war. Harry seems to think that the best way to stop this peacefully is by uniting the two sides." Ron let out a sigh.
"How would you do that?"
"By having you and Scorpius marry," Ron gazed at the ground below him as he spoke, but I kept my eyes glued on him, "You see, our family is the image of blood traitors and his family is the image of purebloods. If you two marry a lot less people will be inclined to fight. The Malfoys, despite how they failed Voldemort in the last war, are still leaders in that community, people still look to them to set precedents. If they say it's ok to fraternize and even marry people like us, others will believe so too," I stayed silent for a moment.
"I'm going to marry Scorpius Malfoy?"
"Only if you're willing to. You can, of course, say no. We won't force you to," Ron's voice was gentle as he looked at his only daughter.
"Daddy," I hadn't said daddy in a long time but it seemed appropriate, "life's going to change, isn't it?"
He nodded, "Yes Rosie it is." He began to climb down, "There's someone here to see you by the way,"
I turned around to see none other than my husband to be striding across the grass, "Well hello, wifey," He smirked.
"Good to see you too Scorpy," He grimaced at the nickname that too many clingy girlfriends had attempted to call him.
Scorpius and I had always competed for the spotlight until fifth year, when I knew I wasn't going to get the O on my OWLS that I needed to continue onto NEWT level transfiguration without someone's help, and the person who Professor McGonagall recommended happened to be none other than my greatest competition.
"Please don't laugh at me," I begged him the second I realized it was he was tutoring me.
"Why would I laugh at you? You needed assistance in a subject and you got it. After all, this is required to be healer, and that is your passion, correct?"
I nodded. How did he know that? He smirked at me as he took in my questioning gaze, "Your cousin and I are best friends, you know, and he does tend to tell me about his family on occasion,"
The study sessions earned me an O, but they continued long after OWLs and into 6th year. I helped him with Herbology and Potions, he helped me with Transfiguration and Charms. It was the perfect system. Every day after class we would spend three hours in the library together doing homework. We became friends, well more study buddies. I never once talked to him outside the library except…
"Scorpius did you agree to it?" I didn't need to clarify what I meant.
"How could I not?" I nodded in agreement as he climbed my tree to sit next to me.
Suddenly the impact of what we had just agreed to hit me, "What are we going to do? I mean at Hogwarts we might be ok, but what if we fall in love with someone else? How are we going to manage my healer's hours and your auror ones if that's even what we become? Are we going to start a family? Do you even want a family? Bloody hell what if you don't want a fam-" I was cut off with a kiss. It was a beautiful, tingling, too short kiss.
"Sorry about that it seemed the easiest way to get you to calm down," My cheeks were burning the color of my flaming red hair, but at least I had stopped babbling. "And to answer some of your questions, we will manage our hours. It might be tough but well make do. I want a family, I was actually just thinking about that when my father told me." He looked at my still burning cheeks, "Oh come on Rose, it's not like that was the first time we've kissed. We're going to have it to do it a lot more as well," He added almost as an after thought. I wasn't paying attention though, I was back at last Christmas.
"One second, I'm almost done with this essay. I'll walk you back to Gryffindor tower," Scorpius smiled.
I nodded patiently waiting for him to finish our final potions essay before Christmas break that I had helped him complete. "And done," He beamed.
I shouldered my bag before exclaiming, "Race you!" We sprinted out of the library, not listening to the remonstrances of Madame Pince. We zipped around corridors neck and neck. I was only able to keep up with his long stride due to the quidditch training I did. Then I couldn't move further. My feet were glued to the ground next to his that's when we looked up.
There, looking down at us innocently, was a sprinkle of Mistletoe. My hand instinctively reached up to cover my mouth. I did not want my first kiss to be some joke under the mistletoe, especially when I had a real boyfriend. I began breathing faster and faster, all of the freedom from moments ago gone. "Rose," I looked up into his grey eyes, "Lysander will never have to know. No one will ever have to know,"
He reached out, gently pulling my hand back down to my side before cupping my face and pressing his lips to mine. I felt a tingling sensation all throughout my body. I haven't been kissed since. Mostly because I was scared Lysander wouldn't live up to that one. The one I shared with Scorpius.
"Scorpius," I spoke as evenly as my voice would allow, "What if we don't do a good enough job? Like what if we don't convince everyone?"
"Then all hell breaks loose. But at least we tried. Nobody can say we didn't give it our all,"
I nodded, "Let's get inside, I'm sure Uncle Harry has some guidelines or something he wants to go over," I suggested finally coming to terms with the new situation… possibly.
He climbed down the tree first, followed by me. We walked in silence back to my house. I suddenly became aware that it was nothing like his manor, from what I've heard. This made me extremely self-conscious, despite the fact that if we were to be married, he was going to be here very often.
I pulled open the back door to see a weary Harry and a fired up Ron. I quickly turned to Scorpius, "You better pray my dad doesn't go off on you," before marching confidently into the room. I immediately took a seat besides my mum and curled into her.
"Rosie!" Dad exclaimed jumping up.
"Hi Rose and Scorpius," Uncle Harry greeted, "Now I hate to jump straight in, but I think it would be best to get everything you two need to make this convincing while you are both in the room," There was a glum nod from both of us, "First off PDA is necessary, you know, kisses before class, hand holding in the hallway, lunch together and picnics by the lake. I expect you two to become the golden couple of Hogwarts." I exchanged a look of mutual disgust with Scorpius at having to kiss…in public before Harry continued,
"At graduation next year you," Harry gestured to Scorpius, "will propose to Rose. It is the perfect place because everyone will be there, including the Daily Prophet. I need it to seem as if this relationship isn't moving quickly, like you've been in love for years, so come up with a great story to tell the press,"
"That might be hard considering Rose is still fawning over Lysander Scamander," Albus laughed. I quickly threw a pillow at him.
"Speaking of which, if either of you do have any remote inkling towards another person during any time I am terribly sorry; but you two are the only way we can prevent this war." Harry grimaced.
"We know, Uncle Harry. We understand the magnitude of what we are undertaking," I sighed closing my eyes for a moment as my mum wrapped her arm around me.
"Also this year," Harry jumped back into business mode. As soon as he began to move out of it, he began to doubt his decision in making Scorpius and myself marry, so Harry was firm, "You need to stress how blood status doesn't matter, that love does," We both nodded. "Now the only people who are aware of why you two are together are your parents, Ginny, Hugo, Albus, and of course myself. I would like to keep it that way, understood?" His eyes rested on Albus and Hugo each for an extra second.
"Got it dad," Albus saluted him mockingly in an attempt to release some tension.
Scorpius left shortly after, but not before we agreed that our first date should be to get our supplies in Diagon Alley. It would be a good test run on how we should act.
I immediately headed up to my room, collapsing on my bed. Seconds later there was a knock, "Who is it?" I grumbled into my pillow.
"Hermione darling,"
"Mum I don't want to talk," I let her in anyways.
"I know, that's why I brought you my favorite book that involves the character having an arranged marriage. I thought it might give you some ideas," She smiled brightly at me. That's when I began sobbing.
"Mu-um why do I-I have to? Wh-y me?" I hiccupped.
She held me stroking my flame of hair muttering, "I know it's not fair and I know it's not right, but think about it this way you are keeping hundreds of people from having to suffer even worse fates than you,"
"What's worse than being unhappy forever?" I mumbled into her shoulder.
"You don't know that you're going to be unhappy forever. This situation isn't ideal, but Scorpius is capable of making you happy, if you only you allow him to,"
"Mummy will you tell me a story?"
"Of course darling. Would you like it to be a muggle fairy tale, from Tales of Beedle the Bard, or one that I make up?"
When I was younger, my father would tuck Hugo in and my mum would tuck me in. Each night she would tell me a story from one of these three options. I normally asked her to make one up. The heroine in all of the stories was named Orchid. My mum said that's because she had a flower name like me. Orchid would do miraculous things, like fight off evil wizards, or she would be a princess and fall in love.
"Make one up please," Orchid had been my childhood hero.
"Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away there was a princess named Orchid," My mum began in a soothing voice, "the kingdom, Mugle, was at war with it's arch nemesis, Pureble. These two kingdoms had been fighting since the beginning of time. One day, Orchid's father, the king, approached her. He said, 'Orchid, as a princess, you have known for some time that you will have an arranged marriage, but I hate to tell you that your time has come for it to be now,' Orchid was shocked, enraged, and saddened. 'Who is it that I shall be marrying?' she asked. 'The prince from Pureble.' Her father answered. 'It shall bring the kingdoms to peace at last.' Orchid understood the necessity of her marriage, but she didn't want to marry a boy she hardly knew. The next day, a grand procession approached the castle. It was the prince of Pureble.
"Out the boy walked up to her castle front doors. Orchid watched from her bedroom window with mixed feelings. Eventually, a servant came to get her so that she could meet the boy to whom she was betrothed. 'Hello my lady, I am Core,' The boy bowed deeply to Orchid and kissed her hand. Orchid curtsied back reluctantly. 'Would you like to have some tea and get to know one another?' Core asked. Orchid nodded silently as both kings watched with great interest. Core led Orchid into the tearoom where they began to talk. Orchid began to open up once the kings left the room and actually liked Core. 'Orchid, I know that you and I both hoped that we would be able to pick our spouses, but since we do not have that option I am glad it is you,' Core smiled. The wedding was beautiful and Core and Orchid lived happily ever after in their united kingdom." Hermione ended with a yawn.
"I think that's how I feel mum. That if it's not possible for me to marry for love at least it's Scorpius," I confessed.
"That's a good place to be honey," She tucked me in, kissed me goodnight and left the room.
So what did you think? Good? Bad? Please tell me! Any suggestions are welcome!